Water-closet.



PATEN-T D JAN. e, 1903.

P. A. ALLB II. 7 WATER CLOSET.

APPLICATION FILED BEPT. 4, 1902.

N0 MODEL.

iNVENTOR, GM 4. /6Z6 @WMf Tu: mums rrzns co. muruLmm. msmmwu. my I UNHED PATRICK A. ALLEN, OF TOLEDO, OHIO.

WATER- CLOS ET.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 717,651, dated January 6, 1903.

Application filed September 4, 1902. fierial No. 122,027. No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, PATRICK A. ALLEN, a citizen of the United States,residin g at Toledo, in the county of Lucas and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in ater-Closets; and I do hereby declare the following to be afulhclear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same,reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to improved auto-- matic dumping and flushing mechanism for water-closets; and its object is to provide simple and efficient means whereby a watercloset will be thoroughly flushed and cleansed by the use of a very small quantity of water, and thus adapt it to be used on railway-cars and in other places where the facilities for carrying or retaining water are limited.

While the essential features of my invention are necessarily susceptible of modification, the preferred embodiment thereof is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which 7 Figure 1 is a partly-sectional side elevation of my improved closet, showing the seat in closed position and in engagement with the dumping and flushing mechanism. a similar view of my improvement, showing the position of the dumping and flushing mechanism as it appears immediately after the seat has raised sufficiently to release the same and before said mechanism has returned to its normal position, as shown indotted lines; and Fig. 3 is a detail rear elevation of my improvement, showing the seat in raised or open position.

In the drawings, 1 represents the hopper or bowl of my improved closet,which is reduced at its lower end and adapted to extend a short distance within the discharge pipe or chute 2. An annular flange or collar 8 is provided near the outlet of the hopper land rests upon and is securely bolted to the double-flanged portion 4 of the discharge-pipe 2. At the rear of the hopper l I provide the projecting lugs 5, to which the bearing-lugs 6 of the seat '7 are pivoted,thns providing the usual hinged connection between the seat and hopper.

Fig. 2 is Having thus briefly described the seat, hopper, and discharge-pipe common to all closets of this class, I will now proceed to describe my improved automatic tripping and dumping mechanism,in which the principal feature of my invention resides.

The lower end of the hopper 1 is closed by means of the cup-shaped trap, 8, having the annular flange 9, which fits loosely around said end and provides an air-tight seal when said cup is filled with water. The depth of said water seal is regulated by the height of said flange 9, the same being so fitted around the end of the hopper as to permit water to pass below said end and out over the top of said fiangewhen the trap is closed. The trap 8 is pivotally mounted in the casing'at the rear of the discharge-pipe 2 in a position adjacent to and on a horizontal plane with the lower projecting end of the hopper 1 and is adapted in its opening movement to swing downward and rest in a suitable seat 10, provided in said casing, thus preventing the obstruction of said passage-way. Rigidly secured to a portion of said trap 8 and extending rearwardly therefrom at an angle to the .under surface thereof is the arm 11, which is forked or bifurcated at its outer extremity for the reception of a connecting-rod, herein after referred to.

12 is a lever ,pivotally secured to the outer side of one of the lugs 5 at a point eccentric with and slightly below the pivotal point of the seat 7 and is adapted when the seat is in closed position to engage with the springpressed catch 18, mounted in the case 14, which is secured to the under surface of said seat. The upper and lower edges of the engaging ends of said lever and catch, respectively, are beveled to enable the catch 13 when engaging with the lever 12 in the closing operation of the seat7 to be forced within its case and permit the engaging end of said lever to pass to the opposite side thereof, as shown in Fig. 1. Integral with and extending rearwardly from said lever 12 is the arm 15, to which the trip-chain 16, leading to the usual flushing-tank, .is attached. I do not confine myself, however, to this mode of controlling the tank nor to the use of a tank, as the same or similar mechanism may be used to control a valve in a water-pipe located adjacent to the hopper, and thus regulate the flow of water.

The rod 17 is pivotally secured at one end to the lever 12 and near its other end to the forked portion of the arm 11 of the trap 8, thus causing said lever 12,the arm 15 integral therewith,and the trapS to move in unison and in oppositedirections, as shown in Fig. 2. Suspended from the lower end of the rod 17 is the weight 18, which keeps the trap 8 normally closed and the lever 12 in the position shown in Fig. 1.

I provide a simple means for automatically raising the seat 7 when it is released by attaching one end of the coiled spring 19 to a lug 20, provided on the rear of the seat 7, and the other end thereof to a corresponding lug 21, provided at the rear of the hopper adjacent to the flange 3. It is obvious, however, that any of the means commonly used for automatically raisinga water-closet seat may be employed.

\Vhen the closet is not in use, the trap 8 normally remains closed, with thelever 12 in a horizontal position, as shown in Fig. 1, and the seat 7 in an open position, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. When it is desired to use the closet for other than urinal purposes, the seat 7 is drawn down, thus causing the springcatch 13 to engage with the under surface of the lever 12, as shown in Fig. 1. It will be remembered that the lever 12 is pivoted to the lug 5 at a point eccentric with and slightly below the pivotal point of the seat 7, so that when the seat is released and raised by reason of the contraction of the spring 19, which is strong enough to lift the weight 18, the catch 13 will be caused to gradually recede from the beveled end of said lever 12 until it has reached a predetermined point in its ascension-say a forty-five-degree an gle-at which point the catch will have so far receded from the end of said lever as to allow it to fall back, actuated by the weight 18, to its normal position, and the trap 8,which was opened simultaneously with the lifting of the lever 12, to be again closed, while the seat remains in open position. The upward movement of the lever 12 throws the integral arm 15 in the opposite direction, thus pulling the trip-chain 16 and causing an instantaneous flushing of the bowl and cleansing of the trap 8, which is entirely open by the time the lever has reached its tripping-point. As the lever falls back to its normal position the trip-chain is released and the flow of water stopped, the trap 8 closing in time, however, to catch a sufficient quantity of water to form a seal, which is retained therein until the trap is again dumped.

It is obvious that the flushing of my closet will require a very small quantity of water, thus making it possible to equip cars and other places having limited water-supplies with sanitary water-closets.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a water-closet comprising a seat, a hopper, and a discharge-pipe, means for causing said seat to automatically raise, a catch on said seat, a lever on said hopper adapted to engage with said catch and be carried to a predetermined point in the ascending movement of said seat where it is released, means on said lever to engage a trip-chain, a trap interposed between said hopper and discharge-pipe, a connection between said lever and trap, and a weight on said connection.

2. In a water-closet, a hopper having communication with a discharge-chute, a seat pivoted to said hopper, a lever fulcrumed adjacent to the pivotal point of said seat, means on said seat to loosely engage one end of said lever, a trip-chain attached to the other end of said lever, a trap at the lower extremity of said hopper, connection between said lever and trap, means provided for normally retaining said lever and trap in one position, and means provided for causing said seat to raise and be normally retained in open position.

3. In a water-closet, a hopper having a reduced outlet, a shallow cup-like trap mounted adjacent to said outlet and adapted to normally close the same, a seat hinged to said hopper, means provided for automatically.

raising said seat, a lever fulcrumed to the upper portion of said hopper, a rod connecting said lever and trap in such manner that a movement of one will cause an opposite movement of the other, a trip-chain, means provided on said seat for causing said lever to be raised a desired distance with the ascending movement of said seat, a projection on said lever to engage with said trip-chain and cause a flow of water, and means provided for stopping said fiow of water, closing said trap, and causing said lever to return to its normal position.

4:. In a water-closet, the combination with a hopper having a reduced discharge-opening, a seat hinged to said hopper and means provided for causing said seat when released to be automatically raised, of a trap mounted adjacent to and adapted to close dischargeopening in said hopper in the manner described, a movable member secured to said hopper and adapted to be moved when said seat is raised, a rod between said member and said trap to adapt them to move in unison, means provided for causing a flush of water in said hopper when said member is moved, and a weight to cause said trap and said member to normally remain in one position.

5. In a water-closet, the combination with a hopper, a discharge-chute, a seat pivotally secured to said hopper, and means for causing said seat to automatically raise, of a trap pivotally mounted between said hopper and chute, a lever fulcrumed adjacent to the pivotal point of said seat, connection between said trap and lever, said lever adapted to he moved on its fulcrum by the raising of said seat and to cause a supply of Water to enter said hopper and said trap toopen, and means secured to said connection for causing said flow of water to cease and said trap to close. 6. In a water-closet, the combination of a hopper having a direct discharge-outlet, aseat pivotally secured to said hopper, means for automatically raising said seat, a gate adapted to normally close said discharge-outlet,a lever fulcru med adjacent to the pivotal point of said seat, a catch on said seat adapted to loosely engage said lever, means for causing said lever and trap to move simultaneously and be rerained normally in one position, and means secured to said lever for causing a supply of Water to enter said hopper when said lever is moved on its fulcrum.

7. In a water-closet, a hopper having a reduced outlet, a seat pivoted to said hopper, means for automatically raising said seat, a spring-pressed catch on said seat, a movable member adapted to engage with said catch, a trap adapted to normally close said outlet, a connection between said member and trap to adapt said trap to open as said member is moved, and means, provided for causing a supply of water to enter said hopper as said trap is opened.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name'to this specification in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

PATRICK A. ALLEN.

Witnesses:

EMIL J. VOGE'LSANG, O. W. OWEN. 

